Rumours abound that Kevin Spacey is vying for a return which seems ever and ever more likely by the passing day. We have major studios like Warner Bros and Pixar on the ropes with their latest efforts having poor turnouts at the box office. Plus, we hear that Mission Impossible might have a post-Tom Cruise future.
Read on to learn more.
Kevin Spacey Plots His Return
Kevin Spacey, the two-time Oscar-winning actor, intends to return to acting if he is cleared of the sexual assault charges he currently faces in London. The actor, whose career was significantly impacted by numerous allegations of sexual misconduct, is set to stand trial later this month on 12 sex offence charges. Spacey has maintained his innocence and is convinced that the charges will fall apart under scrutiny, as he believes happened in the trial involving actor Anthony Rapp.
Spacey has been keeping himself busy during his hiatus from acting, working on scripts and short films. He has also taken on a voiceover role in a low-budget thriller. Despite the controversy surrounding him, Spacey is confident that people in the industry are ready to hire him when he is cleared of the charges. He stated, “It’s a time in which a lot of people are very afraid that if they support me, they will be cancelled. But I know that there are people right now who are ready to hire me the moment I am cleared of these charges in London. The second that happens, they’re ready to move forward.” In fact, we’ve already heard his Peter Five Eight film has been picked up for distribution across the world, including the UK and USA.
While it’s hard to imagine Spacey’s career will ever return to where it once was, it doesn’t feel impossible that a ‘comeback’ could be on the table; earlier this year, he got an honorary award at an Italian festival. Other people attached to similar controversies, such as Bryan Singer, are similarly attempting a comeback.
State of cinema being what it is, you just know that someone will attempt to cash in on the controversy and give him a shot – We all know the press will inevitably obsess over his return no matter how thin the project is. As for my personal opinion, I have to say I don’t think I’ll be able to watch something with him easily.
Box Office Bombings – Elemental & The Flash
The box office has seen a couple of major disappointments this past week, with both Warner Bros./DC’s The Flash and Disney/Pixar’s Elemental failing to meet expectations. The Flash pulled in an estimated $55 million over the 3-day opening weekend, falling short of the projected $70M-$75M. This is particularly disappointing given the film’s hefty $200 million budget. Due to his recent legal troubles, the film’s box-office performance was hampered by a lack of press availability from its main star, Ezra Miller.
On the other hand, Elemental is experiencing the worst opening weekend in Pixar’s history, with a $29.5 million 3-day start. This is the second consecutive Pixar film to underperform at the box office, following Lightyear in 2022. The film’s concept has been criticised as being hard to win over kids and families, and it has been suggested that Disney’s decision to release several of its films for free on streaming during the pandemic may have devalued the studio’s output in the eyes of moviegoers.
Generally, I find reports on box office takings generally boring. I don’t get the attraction of discussing financial trends in cinema or if a film makes a slight profit or a minor loss. I get why people like the surprise successes or the massive bombs – But neither of these has yet leaked interesting behind-the-scenes tales for me to enjoy. Warner Bros seem to be messing up everything, so this should be no surprise, be worried, Barbie and Dune fans…
Beyond that, I find the current conversation about Pixar interesting. So many people are convinced that Pixar is dying or that their best days are years in the past – but I don’t know about that – Yes, John Lasseter was a huge and influential figure, and his leaving will impact things – But Pixar made Soul in 2020 and Coco in 2017. Yes, their most recent films haven’t been excellent, but I don’t think films like Onward or Luca are bad, perhaps not brilliant, but certainly not bad. This could be the start of the fall of Pixar, but I prefer to think of it as Docter finding his feet.
Mission Impossible – Dead Reckoning
July 2023 is shaping up to be a blockbuster, with three major releases scheduled. However, this has led to a clash of titans, with Tom Cruise’s “Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One” and Christopher Nolan‘s “Oppenheimer” vying for the same IMAX screens. Cruise’s film is set to hit theatres on July 12, while Nolan’s biopic is slated for a July 21 release.
Cruise has reportedly expressed frustration that Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One will only have a one-week run on IMAX screens before Oppenheimer takes over. This is due to Nolan’s long-standing relationship with IMAX, which has led to the company clearing its roster to give Oppenheimer a standalone release.
In related news, there are rumours that Cruise might be wrapping up his role as Ethan Hunt after the second part of Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning. Director Christopher McQuarrie has confirmed that these two movies are not the franchise’s end, and he has plans for the next instalments.
Ultimately, Tom Cruise is 60, a good 60, obviously, but he turns 61 in little more than a week. It’s a shame as I believe that the Mission: Impossible films have only improved as the years have passed. I’m unsure I can buy into a Cruise-less Mission: Impossible, but I’m willing to give the first non-Cruise effort a try, depending, I suppose, on the quality of the upcoming two MI films.
Bronze Screen Dream 